General Information

The Change Programme is a national programme that aims to test and improve some of the policy changes that were proposed in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan that was published in March 2023.

The Department for Education (DfE) has a vision for a nationally consistent SEND & AP system that provides the right support, at the right time, and in the right place for disabled children and young people and children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or who are in alternative provision, wherever they live in the country.

The Change Programme provides an opportunity to test the SEND & AP Improvement Plan’s proposed reforms in local areas before enacting the reforms nationally.

The project is being delivered by Change Programme Partnerships (CPP) in each of the nine regions of England, including the North West partnership that includes Manchester.

In March 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) published the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper, which sets out the government’s proposals to improve outcomes for children and young people; improve experiences for families, by seeking to reduce the current adversity and frustration in the system; and deliver financial sustainability. It also considered the specific issues facing the alternative provision sector.